The Fljótsdalshérað municipality of northeast Iceland has set up a 13-person “truth committee” to investigate whether or not the mythical Worm of Lagarfljót lake is real.
Lasy February, farmer Hjörtur Kjerúlf took a video of what appears to be a long object moving in a snake-like motion across the current of the river feeding into the lake. There was speculation that this was the famed Worm of Lagarfljót, a giant serpent that reportedly lives in the lake for which it is named.
The video went viral, attracting attention as far afield as Japan. Although it has since been debunked as fishing netting tangled in ice, last May, the NBC show “Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files” went in search of the Worm, as did ABC News, in June.
RÚV now reports that the municipality which encompasses the lake, Fljótsdalshérað, has created a 13-person “truth committee” to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Tales of the worm date back to 14th century, although it has never been successfully captured on video, in photographs, or on radar. Despite the debunking of the video, the committee intends to examine whatever evidence is available and put the matter to rest once and for all. The committee is comprised of naturalists, historians, a priest, Lagarfljót Worm hobbyists, and Social Democrat member of parliament Jónína Rós Guðmundsdóttir.
The municipality has given committee members until the end of the current election term to complete their investigation. Their work is also entirely volunteer-based.
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